Tetanus - Tetanus In Children, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Tetanus in children

Tetanus is most common in children between the ages of three and seven. Mostly this disease has a summer seasonality and affects more rural residents. Fatalities in tetanus are over 40%.

The causative agent of tetanus enters the body through cuts and wounds on the skin, microtrauma can also cause illness. This usually happens with injuries and injuries to the feet. In newborns, the virus can penetrate a wound in the navel or the umbilical cord. After tetanus enters a child's body, the virus begins to multiply rapidly. In this case, tetanospasmin is produced, which can penetrate into the central nervous system of the child and spread with the blood stream throughout the body.

Tetanus symptoms in children

The onset of the disease is acute, the infected infant refuses to breastfeed and becomes anxious. The incubation pattern usually lasts from 5 to 14 days. The main hallmark of tetanus is the involuntary contraction of the masticatory muscles, which prevents the child from opening his mouth. Due to the contraction of the swallowing muscles, swallowing is difficult. A crying and a smile can be expressed on the face at the same time, the mouth is stretched, the corners are slightly lowered, and the skin on the forehead gathers in folds.

After a short period of time, other symptoms of tetanus are added: contraction of the long muscles of the spine, arms and abdomen. The intercostal muscles and the diaphragm are also involved in the process. Seizures come on suddenly. At first, the seizures are short-term, but their duration and frequency gradually increase. The patient feels unbearable pain while being fully conscious.

Tetanus can be aggravated by manifestations of tachycardia, arrhythmia, sweating, peripheral vascular contractions and increased blood pressure. With frequent muscle contractions, acidosis can develop, disrupting the work of the cardiovascular system. The cause of death can be respiratory paralysis and asphyxia or paralysis of the heart.

Tetanus treatment in children

If tetanus is detected in a child, he is immediately hospitalized, surgical treatment of damaged skin areas with removal of damaged tissue is performed, the type of antibiotic therapy is determined, and an appropriate course is prescribed. Anti-tetanus serum is injected intramuscularly once in the amount of 1.5-2 thousand IU. With a difficult course of the disease, babies are transferred to intensive care, the lungs are artificially ventilated and the vaccine is injected intravenously.

To combat seizures, antipsychotics and hypnotics are prescribed in combination with antihistamines and analgesic pharmaceuticals. As a prophylaxis against tetanus infection, babies are routinely vaccinated from the age of three months.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".